


Fear No More

by water_bby



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Canon Divergence - Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Canonical Character Death, Dark Fantasy, Implied Victoria Hand/Isabelle Hartley, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Minor Andrew Garner/Melinda May, Multi, Mythical Beings & Creatures, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-05-31 13:42:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19427134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/water_bby/pseuds/water_bby
Summary: Alexander Pierce comes to visit Fury after the Winter Soldier's attack. He's never going to go home again.





	Fear No More

**Author's Note:**

> written for my "AU: fairy tale/myth" square for Trope Bingo, round 12

I take a deep breath and reach out to open the cabin door. I had not expected to ever hear Nicholas Fury's voice again, so when he called to report that he had survived an attack from the Winter Soldier, I agreed to meet him at a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I brought Garrett and Sitwell because even a gravely wounded Fury has the potential to be trouble. I wonder if he has told anyone else of his survival, but I assume not because I know Hill is still at the Triskelion, and who would he inform if not his Deputy Director?

So it is unsettling to find a dozen people spread around the large open cabin. It is more so because I know that some of them are supposed to be elsewhere. Garrett had informed me that the mobile command center with Coulson's team was heading to Europe, but here are both Melinda May and Phil Coulson, bracketing the stairway to the upper floor. Perhaps worse, Coulson has one arm wrapped around the Black Widow, who is supposed to be minding Steve Rogers and who is not authorized to know that Coulson is still alive. I recognize one of the women sitting on the couch as Victoria Hand, looking more at ease than I've ever seen her. She is supposed to be at the Hub. The African American man near May is familiar, but I can't recall where I know him from. And then there's Barton, leaning on the railing that edges the loft-like upper floor. I remember Fury mentioning Barton was taking an extended leave of absence. He looks disgusted with all of us, as if we have interrupted his evening.

There will be no chance to remove Fury permanently, not with this many witnesses, and I wish I hadn't acquiesced when Sitwell asked to accompany me. I don't like losing the element of surprise.

Fury, however, shows no surprise. No one shows any surprise. In fact, the room is incredibly silent, as if they have been simply waiting.

Above me, Barton starts humming something I do not recognize, but which sounds very old.

"Alexander," Fury says, "Captain America is displeased with Project Insight. I imagine he will be even more displeased when he realizes what you have been doing to his best friend." 

How, I wonder, does he know about Barnes?

Fury rises from the chair, showing no sign of any injury beyond his long-missing eye. "I'm going to do you a favor. I'm going to take care of you myself. And my people and I are going to take care of your -- colleagues, shall we say? -- before you can move further forward with your schemes." He nearly sneers that last word, as if our plans are tawdry trinkets.

Fury holds up seven slim envelopes. Seven suggests he knows more than I have ever suspected.

To my right, I feel Garrett shift into a more defensive stance while to my left Sitwell simply removes his glasses and begins polishing the lenses. The man beside May -- Garner, that's it, her ex-husband -- drops a quick kiss on her lips, says simply, "Malick," and waits for Fury to offer him a particular envelope.

There's no way that anyone in this room should know that name.

Garner smiles sharply at Fury, takes the envelope handed to him, shakes his head at Coulson, and walks out the back door. No one else moves, although Barton's humming shifts to a slightly less ancient sounding tune.

As Garner leaves, Sitwell puts his glasses back on and steps forward, taking one of the envelopes at random before offering his elbow to May with a quirk of his lips. Sitwell meets my gaze as he walks back out the front door with both Melinda May and Phil Coulson. What I see in those eyes is deep contempt.

If Sitwell is still Fury's man, then there may be no way out for me. My best hope is sowing discord among those he has gathered to carry out whatever plan he has. Although I wonder how he hopes to achieve anything against Hydra with only one or two going up against the likes of Malick or von Strucker! But my best hope now is to make Coulson falter. I dredge up the memory of a half-heard conversation from years ago and snarl, "So, you brought your 'dog handler' back from the dead and put him back to work?" It is a faint memory, but I had thought it was a rather insulting thing to say to one of his top operatives.

It doesn't work. Coulson doesn't even pause, and Fury actually laughs. "I think you misheard me, Alexander. Coulson is my Master of Hounds." Everyone left in the room says the last three words in unison. Outside, there is a single baying call followed by the sounds of a very, very large pack of dogs. "And Coulson is impossible to kill."

What does that mean? We all know Coulson died during the Battle of New York. Don't we?

Barton changes to yet another tune, his expression now one of intense interest. I am relieved that the man is staring at Garrett.

The remaining people in the room start moving now. Victoria Hand, grinning, pulls the dark haired woman in a SHIELD uniform off the couch, saying, "Come on, Izzy." She holds out her hand for another of those damned envelopes. They walk right by us without sparing us a glance. Outside, there comes a different baying call, and it sounds like the pack is smaller. The others follow in pairs until Fury holds only two envelopes.

Barton's humming finally stops.

Romanoff graciously accepts the envelope Fury offers her, tucking it away before meeting Fury's eye. "We get Garrett first."

"Of course," Fury answers, putting the last envelope back in his pocket. "Will you be needing horses?"

Garrett and I both move forward to counter this threat. An arrow hits the ground at our feet a moment before Barton drops from the railing to the floor right in front of Garrett.

"No," Barton says to Fury. "We'll come back for them. Right now, I think we'll just let Lucky have his fun." Barton's smile softens as he looks at something standing in the doorway.

I turn just enough to see a very battered, shimmering, one-eyed dog which growls at Garrett. When it moves toward him, Garrett shoots it three times. Its growl deepens while two more baying calls come from outside. As near as I can tell, the bullets hit the animal and vanish, not even leaving a mark.

I try to find a way to seize control even as i know i am out of my depth.

Barton is growling now as well, and he quickly disarms Garrett. "First you go after Phil and now you shoot my dog? Run, John Garrett. Run as fast as you can. And pray."

Romanoff drops a hand on the dog's head, smiles at Barton, and then smiles at Garrett. Never have I been so aware of her code name. "Phil and Clint and I were hoping for a nice long weekend together. That it's been interrupted is going on your tab as well." Her smile is chilling. "We'll take payment in blood. Run. Now."

The dog leaps forward, forcing Garrett out the door and then down the steps from the porch. I can see a dozen other dogs join in forcing Garrett away from the cabin and then chasing him towards the woods. The moment Garret starts running, Barton starts humming again, a tune that I can't quite name. Romanoff and Barton follow at a fast lope, good for covering ground, but not as if they are worried that their prey will escape. 

Now, it is just Fury and me in the cabin, and Fury pushes me out the door. A pair of horses wait patiently by the far corner of the porch, and Coulson holds the reins of two more about fifteen feet away. Some additional dozen shimmering dogs mill about Coulson's legs, while one stands halfway between Coulson and Fury, making another of those baying calls. Master of Hounds. How many dogs had there been before Sitwell left?

Fury pushes by me, shutting the door with a click and striding towards the larger of the two horses. He mounts easily, then Coulson does so as well while giving a whistle that has the dogs -- the hounds -- going quiet and focused.

I suddenly remember the tune Barton was humming as he left. "Ghost Riders in the Sky."

The nearest hound leaps forward. What can i do but run?


End file.
